Steve Nash had a very impressive 19-year NBA career before he bid adieu after the 2013-14 season.
During that time, he was able to face the 2002 Kings -- a squad that was tough to play. The team won eleven straight games toward the end of the season, finishing with a 61–21 record -- good for the best record in the league.
The Kings banked on a Read and React Offense with a phenomenal passing game by Chris Webber and Vlade Divac and great guards in Mike Bibby and Doug Christie. Nash spoke about their game on “All The Smoke” podcast.
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“The passing of Vlade and C-Webb was unbelievable for two big guys," Nash told hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. "It allowed them to play the game in a way that was so rare and so difficult to defend. That ball just moved and guys would space the floor ... It was beautiful.”
Webber and Divac would also play at the top of the key which made it easy for Bibby to use the two as screens to score.
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“Peja [Stojaković] obviously was maybe their best player at different times during that run,” Nash added. "And Christie was almost impossible to figure out."
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Unstoppable.
That year, the Dallas Mavericks would lose to the Kings 4-1 in the conference semifinals, but Nash said he had fun playing against the team and Sacramento was an incredible place to play.
“Building felt like it was falling down, but the energy in there was incredible.”
Game recognizes game.
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Nash’s illustrious career included eight All-Star selections, back-to-back MVP awards, garnering First Team honors three times and an induction into The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
He’s now a player development consultant with the Warriors.